A RESTAURANT venture specialising in meatballs has opened its first franchise in York and grown its team of staff to 20 just two years after launching its first restaurant.

The Yorkshire Meatball Co. opened for business in Harrogate on 1st March 2014, almost two years after founder David Atkinson first came up with the concept for the UK’s first specialist meatball restaurant and craft beer bar.

David’s son, Gareth, joined him as co-founder, bringing significant brand and marketing expertise into the mix and they spent two years researching, developing and refining the brand-led “meatball” concept – one that intentionally capitalises on the quality of Yorkshire’s food and drink provenance.

Such is the strength of the concept and the team that deliver it, that within only four weeks of opening they were nominated by a member of the public for Best Newcomer in the 2014 Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Awards – going on to win the HHTA award in June 2014.

Further to this, The Yorkshire Meatball Co. was the Yorkshire & Humberside Regional winner of the Government-backed 2014 Big Start Up Loans Competition and, in November 2014, winner of the National StartUps.co.uk “Restaurant of the Year” award.

Alongside these accolades, in its first 12 months of operation, The Yorkshire Meatball Co. was short-listed finalists for six other awards at regional and national level, including the inaugural Free-From Eating Out Awards celebrating Allergen- and Gluten-Free dining.

In September 2014, still only six-months old, they were finalists for The Yorkshire Post/Deliciouslyorkshire 2014 Taste Awards for Best Newcomer and Best Use of Local Produce on a Menu, and in the restaurant category of the 2014 Hilden Style Awards, on a shortlist with The Fable, a London restaurant, and the established Gaucho in Leeds.

The duo are now hoping to continue their award success in the New Business of the Year and the Tourism and Hospitality Business of the Year categories in the Press Business Awards.

At the time of their entry they have served more than 97,500 Balls to more than 32,500 people of all ages.

The strength of The Yorkshire Meatball Co.'s first year progress led to an approach from the new owners of York’s The Grand Hotel and Spa, Splendid Hospitality Group, to launch The Yorkshire Meatball Co. brand in their new boutique ‘Hotel Indigo’, in York’s Walmgate.